If you've ever been part of a wedding party, you know the spectrum of emotions that wash over you, which go something like: feeling honoured, feeling a wee bit jealous of the bride, feeling proud of your planning and feeling increasingly distraught at your dwindling bank account balance.
It was estimated that in 2014, it will cost guests approximately $592 to attend a wedding, according to Women's Health, and for members of the wedding party, that rises to $618 — without a gift.
In the video above, Buzz60 gives four ideas on where you can save money as a bridesmaid without taking anything away from your friend's big day. Have some creative ideas of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
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Bachelorette Party Advice
1. Choose a Creative Party Theme(01 of25)
"Throw her a bachelorette party that she will enjoy, not one everyone else thinks she should have." —Christine Piotrowicz"I decided to go with a neon and neutral theme. The bride is a personal shopper for J. Crew and she was having a huge neon-and-neutrals moment, so I played off of that. She didn't want a 'typical' bachelorette party where everyone wears black and sips their drinks out of phallic straws." —Alexandra Hansen
Check out more photos from this Barbie-inspired bachelorette party!
Photo Credit: Appletini Photography & Design
2. Incorporate the Bride's Interests(02 of25)
"We've all been friends for over 20 years and we're in our mid- to late thirties, so we wanted to throw Stacey a bachelorette party that was more intimate (and mature) than Vegas, for example. Also, the bride loves wine and wanted a relaxing weekend. We rented a beautiful ranch house in Santa Ynez wine country. The picnic with all eight girls at the last winery was my favorite part of the day." —Amber Sanchez
Photo Credit: Jens-Oliver Photography
3. Get the Guest List from the Bride(03 of25)
"Ask the bride-to-be for a bachelorette guest list. Make sure everyone you invite is someone she feels comfortable 'letting loose' with. You want her to be surrounded by people she wants there. If she hasn’t talked to her third cousin in 12 years, she probably doesn’t need to be there." —Christine Piotrowicz
Photo Credit: Joe Krummel Photography
4. Streamline Communication(04 of25)
"I handled all of the research and negotiations for the events of the bachelorette party weekend. After all the research was done, I e-mailed the bridesmaids with the different options we had. From there, we worked as a group to finalize everything. I chose to do it this way because we felt it was better to have one person gather all of the info. That way, there wasn't double work being done and communication was only coming from one person, so it didn't become too overwhelming." —Lucy De Nobrega"Keep it simple and enlist help. Be patient when you are planning a trip with multiple, busy women. Be open to suggestions and advice from other attendees!" —Amber Sanchez
Photo Credit: Rapture Photography
5. Book Early(05 of25)
"We saved money on plane tickets and travel costs by booking early. This allowed us to splurge on a classy suite at the new Cosmopolitan, a hotel in Las Vegas. So worth it!" —Irrum Doss
Photo Credit: Rapture Photography
6. Distribute a Detailed Itinerary(06 of25)
"Create an itinerary so that all the guests know where to be and when to be there, especially if you are planning an out-of-town bachelorette party. Ours included all the details for the entire weekend. For example: Night one, lingerie masquerade party; day two, pool party; day three, brunch with Bloody Marys. All the girls said they loved knowing everything that was planned, including what to wear to each event!! This also helps guests feel more comfortable spending money, since they will know exactly what they are paying for." —Lucy De Nobrega"Print out all of your confirmation numbers and bring them with you in case of any unforeseen mix-ups." —Irrum DossCheck out more photos from this retro-fabulous bachelorette getaway!
Photo Credit: Jill Olson/Simply Viewed
7. Leave Some Wiggle Room in Your Schedule(07 of25)
"I definitely recommend not over-planning the weekend. Have plans for dinners, showers, supplies (e.g. crowns, sashes, favors) but let the fun happen organically. I left an open schedule for everyone to relax, lounge by the pool and catch up. We had a blast!" —Alexandra Hansen
Photo Credit: Pearls & Twirls
8. Take Budget Into Account(08 of25)
"Take into account what the bride wants to do, but also the price point of the girls that are going. No one should go broke from all of this." —Laurel Niedospial"If you are staying overnight somewhere or planning to go to dinner and expect every girl to contribute, include the price in the invitation." —Christine Piotrowicz
Photo Credit: Joe Krummel Photography
9. Send Printed Invites(09 of25)
"My sister and maid of honor, Kristina Degiovanni, came up with a really sweet invitation design that I helped assemble. We picked Ryan Gosling because he's great to look at...no other reason. My sister thought it would be a neat idea to have part of the invitation hidden under his boxers, so you'd have to lift them up in order to see the text.Also, don't just use save-the-dates for your wedding day! Since all of my friends have pretty busy schedules and their weekends tend to fill up fast, my sister sent out save-the-date magnets so that everyone would be able to plan around the date." —Amy Olmschenk
Photo Credit: Amy Olmschenk
10. Decorate!(10 of25)
"Make it special and think about the little details that could be used to make the party different from all others. Keep with the theme and go crazy. Remember, you don’t need to buy everything — get crafty and make decorations." —Christine Piotrowicz
Photo Credit: Pearls & Twirls
11. Wear Special Outfits to Stand Out(11 of25)
"The bride wanted to have a theme for our night out but she didn't want to wear a typical white dress and veil. Instead, we had all the guests dress in white and she wore an aqua blue dress, which made our group really stand out." —Lucy De Nobrega
Photo Credit: Rapture Photography
12. Or, Try Props Instead(12 of25)
"Extras make things interesting! We brought boas for the girls, and it really made all of us feel like celebrities when we were walking through the casino in Las Vegas, where the party was held. Bystanders even thought we were entertainment hired by the hotel.Also, bring some fast flats (our photographer told us about this one!). With all of the walking you do, it's nice to give your feet a break. Plus, they roll up and fit just about anywhere." —Irrum Doss
Photo Credit: Rapture Photography
13. Don't Involve the Bride in Everything(13 of25)
"With all the efforts and excitement that the bride and groom face while planning a wedding, it is a welcomed (and necessary) gesture not to have to worry about a single detail. The bride has enough on her plate, and the surprise is half the fun!" —Melissa Copson"If I could give any bride advice about her bachelorette party, it would just be to relax and hand over control to those offering to plan and host the festivities. This should not be a stressful occasion, so don't go into it with expectations, and let your friends and family treat you as they see fit!" —Caroline Pennington Gillem
Check out more photos from this Southern Belle's DIY bachelorette party!
Photo Credit: Katie Lee
14. Give Her a Surprise She'll Never Forget(14 of25)
"I loved that my bridesmaids didn’t tell me where I was going; they just had me pack a bag and jump in the car. Just make sure the date you choose for the party works for the bride-to-be. Her calendar might be filling up with wedding to-dos, so double check with her before booking or planning anything." —Christine Piotrowicz"Surprise the bride and get out of town! Nothing says 'I love you' like a surprise and it certainly wouldn't hurt to use a blindfold. Who knows when you will have the opportunity again to get away with a great group of girls?" —Melissa CopsonCheck out more photos from this surprise lingerie-themed bachelorette party!
Photo Credit: Lin & Jirsa Photography
15. Bond Over a New Experience(15 of25)
"The pole dancing class was a blast…and also very challenging! It was great to see some of the shyer girls really come out of their shell. They ended up being the best ones!" — Alexandra Hansen
Photo by Cassi Claire Photography via The East Coast Bride Event Design
16. Play Games(16 of25)
"One game we played is that each guest brought a pair of underwear that represented themselves, and I had to guess who brought it."—Esther Kim Wang"If some of the girls don't know each other that well, games can be a great icebreaker. We played a balloon game where everyone paired up and had a balloon in between them that had to be popped. The last pair to pop their balloon was eliminated that round. We made sure to pair people up who didn't know each other as well — it's a pretty quick way to get to know someone!" —Amy Olmschenk
Photo Credit: Chrissy Kim Photography
17. Be Trailblazers(17 of25)
"We did dare to-do lists: For example, Dance and sing to a bald man, get a pair of men's boxers, do three shots in a row, etc." —Irrum Doss"My bridesmaid Sam surprised me with cute bachelorette paraphernalia (i.e. tiara, phallic balloons, flashing rings, and a shot glass necklace) and then left a trail of the aforementioned balloons at each location throughout the night, 'leaving our mark.' We ended the night with a ride back to the hotel in an Escalade and a stop-over for Mexican food." —Esther Kim Wang
Photo Credit: Rapture Photography
18. Safety Comes First(18 of25)
"Arrange rides if your party includes alcohol. Rent a bus, catch some cabs, arrange a limo, ask your brother if he can pick you all up in his large SUV...any ride will do. Just drink responsibly and make sure everyone gets home safe!" —Christine Piotrowicz
Photo Credit: Rapture Photography
19. Take Fun Photos(19 of25)
"I worked with an Etsy seller to make mug shot boards for everyone to take that Saturday morning. You can personalize the signs by creating specific 'crimes' for each girl. The 'morning after' photos were hilarious!" —Alexandra Hansen"I took individual photos with each girl. It was nice to get a chance to laugh and be silly with each of them. I think that each photo series we took perfectly captures our individual relationship." —Laurel Niedospial
Photo Credit: Pearls & Twirls
20. Consider Hiring a Pro(20 of25)
"Hire a photographer! There are so many fun moments that a camera phone simply can't do justice." —Irrum Doss"I decided to hire a photorapher for a couple of reasons: I wanted to do something different that would stand out, be memorable, and be meaningful to the bride. The weekend comes and goes so quickly; it was the perfect idea to capture the moments before the weekend was over." —Lucy De Nobrega
Check out more photos from this Great Gatsby-inspired bash!
Photo Credit: Christina McNeill Photography
21. Start a New Tradition in Your Social Circle(21 of25)
"My bridesmaids saved money on my bachelorette party by utilizing items from previous parties that we've planned. We have a storage bin that we open each time we plan a girls-only party. We also have a tradition of decorating risqué cupcakes on all of our bachelorettes. It's always fun and hilarious to see what everyone creates...the winner always gets a prize!" —Melissa CopsonCheck out more photos from this wild cowgirl-themed bachelorette party!
Photo Credit: Appletini Photography & Design
22. Get the Groom Involved(22 of25)
"Plan on having the groom do something special for the bride, like surprising her with flowers, champagne, or chocolate-dipped strawberries sent up to the room with a personal note. We did this and it really made the bride enjoy her weekend that much more, knowing that her hubby-to-be was thinking about her. She felt so special!" —Lucy De Nobrega
Photo Credit: Lin & Jirsa Photography
23. Give Out Fun Favors(23 of25)
"Have favors. You don’t need to give each girl attending something expensive or extravagant, but they are putting out some money to celebrate with you. It is nice to give them a little something to know it’s appreciated they are there." —Christine Piotrowicz
Photo Credit: Pearls & Twirls
24. Gift a Keepsake for the Bride(24 of25)
"I will cherish my guest book always! Every girl who came to celebrate for the weekend had their own page where their face was Photoshopped onto a different Barbie. It was so funny and a great way for each girl to write me a special message." —Christine Piotrowicz
Photo Credit: Lin & Jirsa Photography
25. Don't Forget to Thank Your Bridesmaids(25 of25)
"Carefully choose those who will be a major part of your wedding. My personal attendant, Kelly Martin, maid of honor, Jill Olson, and my parents were all my saving grace. Without them, I would probably be in an insane asylum." —Ann Marie Violet Seurer
Photo Credit: Jill Olson/Simply Viewed